I fully support the Supplemental Guidance for Evaluation and Eligibility in Special Education document. This guidance gives standards for making eligibility decisions and parameters to improve consistency.
Additionally, cultural bias (of assessment tools, etc.) must taken into consideration when making decisions related to eligibility. A difference in the speech or language of a child's community is not the same as an impairment in the ability to learn language. The language in the guidance provides protection to a child's rights rather than discriminate against their cultural linguistic background. Ignoring cultural bias can lead to the overidentification of students.
INTENSE Considerations should be given to general education rather than placing students in a more restrictive category or setting due to failure to provide adequate general education.
"Discrepant from typical" is essential language along with the use of using multiple data sources to making an eligibility determination.
In regards to the section "Evaluations Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)": this is vital aspect of this document to ensure that evidence based practices are upheld. Teams must give consideration to AAC user independence, the decreased reliance on others, and authorship when making decisions related to eligibility and the IEP.